Convicted Without Evidence: 'Father Of The Holy War' Found Guilty

The wingnuts will be celebrating tonight, but it's another sad day for the remains of the rule of law in America. Hassan Abu-Jihaad has been convicted of a charge for which the prosecution admittedly had no evidence.

Abu-Jihaad, who was a signalman aboard the USS Benfold, was accused of passing along details that included the makeup of his Navy battle group, its planned movements and a drawing of the group's formation when it was to pass through the dangerous Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf on April 29, 2001.

Abu-Jihaad's attorney said a four-year investigation that spanned two continents failed to turn up proof that Abu-Jihaad leaked details of ship movements and their vulnerability to attack.

Federal prosecutors [...] acknowledged they did not have direct proof that he leaked the ship details.

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ninth in a series